Books I'll Probably Never Read Tag

This week's tag is a little more negative than usual because I'm going to be talking about all the books I don't care about. Usually I try to only talk about the books I like, mainly because it is more interesting, but I thought this week would be a good time to reflect on some of the books that I don't want to read.

The tag was created by Marisa on her Youtube channel littlespider9, so go check her out!

1- A hyped book you never plan to read

I don' plan on reading The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, even though multiple people have told me it is an excellent book. Psychological thrillers don't really interest me and I don't care much for the plot of this book.

2- A series you aren't going to start or finish

The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Mass. 

Since reading the first book I've not thought about this series at all, and don't feel bad about not carrying on with it. Recently I've heard a lot of negative reviews about the series, and more people seem to be DNF-ing the series than when it first came out, so that doesn't motivate me to carry on reading.

3- A classic you aren't interested in reading

Silas Marner by George Eliot

I had to read it for GCSE and I got about three pages in before I went onto SparkNotes. This book drove me crazy and I never want to pick it up again.

4- Genres you never read

I'm always open to new genres and will give every book a try before giving up on it. There are a couple of genres, like Paranormal and Sci-Fi, which I rarely read but I'm always open to try it out again.

5- A book on your shelf which you probably won't read

I don't want to put any book under this category because I do want to read every book I own one day. However, a book I don't see myself getting to in a while is Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings. I don't read a lot of Sci-Fi and the reviews for this book were quite negative (from what I could see). Maybe after I've explored the sci-fi genre some more I'll get round to it...

What is one book that you will never read? Have you read any of the books I've mentioned?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Pages: 320
Rating: 💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Physics nerd Aysel and popular Roman are strangers, but they've been drawn into an unthinkable partnership. In one month's time, they plan to commit suicide- together. With the deadline getting closer, something new grows between them and it seems there might be something to live for. But are they in too deep?

Trigger Warnings: Suicide, Depression, PTSD

This book would be a 5 star read if it wasn't for the one event at the end of the book. I loved almost every second of the book, reading it in one sitting. It was fast, fun and thought-provoking read.

I loved the characterisation of Aysel and Roman in this book. Both characters were so much more than their suicide pact, with fleshed out lives and hobbies, something which a lot of mental health books lack. Throughout the whole book you can't help but think 'why do they want to die?' Both Aysel and Roman have lives that seem worth living ,with people who love them and futures ahead of them. And that is the thing with depression. You can have a wonderful live but still have a crippling depression and more people need to know that. The characters' isolation and traumatic situations are what fuel their depression and lead to both of them joining a forum for suicide partners

I was a little wary of the science side of this book, wondering how the physics was going to work with the overall plot. It turned out that the physics part added immeasurable amounts to the story as it was interwoven into the story with philosophical questions. Essentially all Aysel was doing was asking the age-old question of what happens when we die, but she changed the wording to something she can process: what happens to our energy when we die?

The writing in this book was simple but beautiful. The philosophical aspect of this book was easy to understand, even when it was dealing with the great questions of life. And even the physics wasn't had to understand, despite Aysel being a sort of genius in that department.

My only problem with this book came in the last 10% of the whole story, when everything changed. I'm not going to spoil anything because that would ruin the story for anyone who wants to read it, but it had that cliche YA- contemporary ending. It was such a shame because the rest of the novel had great mental health representation and it just fell short at the end.

This book has become one of my favourites (meaning I now need to find a way to Jenga it onto my shelf) despite the fact I only gave it 4 stars. Honestly, it was a five star read for me until the ending, as it was the perfect mixture of dark and funny. One of my favourite reads of the year!

Hocus Pocus Book Tag

I know this tag is technically a week late, and that Halloween has been and gone, but I loved doing this tag so I'm going to post it anyway.

Halloween has never been a big deal in my family. We usually just carve some pumpkins and give out sweets to any trick or treaters who knock on our door. As a result I've never actually seen Hocus Pocus but I would love to see it one day. This tag is perfect to get you in the Halloweeny mood without being super scary.

This tag was created by NeverNotReading, so go check her out.

The Sanderson Sisters: A Great Trilogy

If you've been on my blog before you will know that my all time favourite trilogy is The Sign of One Trilogy bu Eugene Lambert. Each book is better than the last and I was gripped until the very end, even if I wanted it to be five books longer.

Winifred Sanderson: A truly evil female villain

The first female villain that comes into my mind is Queen Levana from the Lunar Chronicles. Even though I've only read half of the series I can already tell that she is going to be a completely evil woman.

Sarah Sanderson: A book children love

Technically I'm still legally a child so any book I love is a book children love. But a better person to look at is my brother, who is 10 and reads a lot of books. At the moment he is working his way through Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy and is loving every single book.

Mary Sanderson: A book that is just plain silly

In my English Literature-snob way I'm going to say Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I will admit that I haven't read this book but I have watched the film and listened to it on the radio, and from what I gathered it is a sort of sarcastic comment on the Gothic genre. Which sounds hilarious.

Max: A book that is trying too hard to be cool

I think The Siren by Kiera Cass fits under this one. I loved the Selection series but this book just fell a bit short for me. There were so many cliches in this book that it was almost painful to read. It was definitely trying too hard to be a bestseller which made it fall short.

Dani: A book that isn't afraid to tell it like it is

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas wasn't afraid to tell it as it is. My favourite thing about this book isn't that it handles the issue of police brutality in America but that it shows the corruption of the justice system. THUG didn't sugarcoat any part of story, showing the rare emotions and racism that Starr and her family experience everyday.

Binx: A series that just won't die

The Court of Thorns and Roses series has no end in sight. At the moment there are six book scheduled for this series, but I expect that Sarah J. Mass is going to pull it out for as long as possible. I wish both of her series would just...end.

Ice: A book with a character that is as dumb as rocks

No book character springs to mind when I think of dumb people but a dumb character that I do think of is Jason from The Good Place. I've binge watched the entire series over the last two or three days, and absolutely adored every character. Even though Jason is the dumbest person I've ever seen you can't help but love him because he is adorable and always means the best.

The Black Flame Candle: A series you wish you could resurrect

Originally I would have said the Gone series by Michael Grant, but I just found out that the series has been continued (which is very exciting). Therefore I'll have to say A Series of Unfortunate Events because it ended too soon (even though it was 13 book long).

Headless Billy Butcherson: A book that's not as bad as people make it out to be

I was surprised to see that The Hit by Melvin Burgess had quite a low rating on Goodreads. I have loved this book every time I've read it, but I think other people have a problem with the sorts of thing it is promoting, especially as the narrator is a sex-crazed teenage boy who is about to die.

Winifred Sanderson's Spell Book: A book with a mind of its own

I have no idea what this prompt means but for some reason The Book Thief by Markus Zusak comes to mind. I have no clue why but there you go.

Garry Marshall: A book with a cameo

I think the most famous book with this in it is the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy by Stephanie Perkins. All three books are tied together by the characters and it is very well written.

Which series do you wish you could resurrect? What is your favourite Halloween film?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

Backlist books I need to read

I'm awful when it comes to reading backlist books because every time I see a new shiny book I gravitate towards them, instead of all of the beautiful classics that sit on my bookshelf. I have got better at focusing on classics in the past year, especially when my English Literature course forces me to read them (I'm not complaining!) This has pushed me to read more of the older books on my shelf in my spare time, and leave the new releases until later!

(I will admit, I had to use Goodreads a little bit to see which backlist books I had on my shelves because I couldn't look through all 300 books on my TBR!)

1- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This book terrifies me. It's not even that long (at only 500 pages) but I find classics hard to get into, and if I'm not enjoying the story I tend to just...put it down. Surprisingly, I don't actually know what this book is about, I just know that it is very popular and a must read classic.

2- Dracula by Bran Stoker

I was meant to read this book last month for my spooky reads in the build up to Christmas, but that completely failed. I still really want to read it, but I might have to wait until next Halloween before I get into it.

3- The Book of Strange New Things by Michael Faber

I got given this book a couple of years ago and I've honestly had no interest in picking up. However, the other day I was cleaning my shelves and I stumbled across it. I've been in three schools whilst owning this book, moved countries just as many times but I still can't manage to pick up this book. Hopefully I'll get to it by the end of this year because, after reading a synopsis, it sounds pretty good.

4- I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

I never knew that Dodie Smith wrote One Hundred and One Dalmatians, but this book has always been on my reading list. Admittedly, the only reason why this book is on my shelf is because younger Mia was obsessed with Jacqueline Wilson and she was always talking about this book. However, having read into what this book is about, I am actually very intrigued by this plot as it seems like a children's version of Atonement (which I loved).

5- Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

I was actually super excited  to read this book, so when I brought it I read the first chapter before putting down almost immediately. Apparently I have no focus when it comes to new books, especially when I'm not too bothered about reading the book. I do want to read this book soon though, especially after reading The One Memory of Flora Banks.

6- The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

This book looks really interesting, with words all over the place. It does kind of remind me of Illuminae, with a crazy layout and intriguing plot, so hopefully I'll enjoy it. It is intimidating because it is such a beloved book and I'm worried that I won't love it as much as everyone else.

7- The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

This book has a very similar feel to The Knife of Never Letting Go, even though I have very little idea of what the book is actually about. I guess I should probably get a better idea about what it is about before I start reading it but I know that I do want to read it.

Which of these books have you read? Which books do you want to read?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall
Release Date: July 7, 2016
Pages: 336
Rating:💜💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Norah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can’t step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He’s sweet and funny, and he just caught her fishing for groceries. Because of course he did. Norah can’t leave the house, but can she let someone in? As their friendship grows deeper, Norah realises Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can lie on the front lawn and look up at the stars. One who isn’t so screwed up.


Trigger warnings: Self harm

I ADORED this book. Not only does it have a gorgeous cover, but the words inside are also gorgeous. I read it in one sitting, and it will definitely be one of my favourite books of this year.

Norah was a kooky but strong character who didn't let her severe mental condition get the best of her (I know that sounds strange but let me explain). Even though she couldn't leave the house without breaking down, Norah still managed to have fun inside her house. She wasn't defined by her mental illness and she was able to do things other than curl up in a ball and cry. One of the many things I loved about this book was that Norah's illness was prominent one every single page. It wasn't just a plot device to drive the story, it was a real thing that affected her daily life. You also get to see how her two illnesses bounce off each other, leaving her in some crippling scenarios.

The romance on this story was on point as well. At no point in this story was it the typical boy-saves-girl cliche; instead Norah fights her inner demons by herself. Luke was the perfect boyfriend for her; he is understanding, loving ,supportive and encouraging (plus he researched her illness. *swoon*). He proves to Norah that he isn't going to leave, even when thing get tough, which I think is key to showing Norah that he loves her. However, he isn't her cure and there is never a point in the story where Luke seems to 'fix' Norah. It was lovely to see a mental health story where a romance can exist without the ill person being cured.

If you found Finding Audrey a little unrealistic (with the whole insta-love, curing cliche) definitely give this book a try. Norah is a much more developed character than Audrey ever was, and doesn't 'forget' her illness when it's convenient. This book has great mental health representation, and I think it is great if you want to learn more about mental illnesses.

I highly, highly, highly recommend you read this book because I absolutely adored it and will be re-reading it soon!